Snap-switch.



- PATENTED JULY 25, 1905.

' l nvenbor: Hem g Geisenhncr'} 'H.. GEISEN'HUN'BR.

' SNAP SWITCH APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1-9 1902- v a ziflmllmmmmiiill (Difmes ses:

' wish it understood usirnn snares PATENT amen.

HENRY (jlllSllNlNlNER, OF SCHEN scram, New roux, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A coaroaATIo on NEW YORK.

SNAP-SWlTCl-i- To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GnIsuNHoNuR, a

. citizen of'the United States, residing at Schenswitch by turning the thumb-piece in the wrong direction and on account ofthedifiiculty of taking apart and repairing switches of this kind have been little used. Moreover, on account of" the heretofore practical impossibility of introducing a spring between the actuating and actuated members, so as to operate satisfactorily in both directions,snap

switches with oscillating contact-blades have been used only to a limited extent.

Y One of the objects of my invention is to pro vide an oscillating switch with actuating means which cannot be turned in the wrong direction to the injur of the device. Another object is to so arrange the parts of a switch that access may be had to the contact parts by the mere removal of a cap and without discoumeeting the thumb-piece, .as is usually necessary; and a still further object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of the parts of a switch whereby the spring which operates to snap the contact-blades in either direction shall be subjected to strains acting in one di-" rection only.

My invention includes many changes and modifications of the particular construction herein shown and described, and I therefore that I do not restrict myself to the said construction.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective of a three-way snap-switch embodying my invent'ion, the cover being removed to show the contacts.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig.

of the circular base-piece 2, of hard rubber or v 3 is a bottom plan view.- Fig. 41s a perspective of a four-contact'switch,

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed February 19, 1902. Serial No. 94,737.

.intermcdiate flange 7 end for the reception of Patented Ju1y25, 1905.

other insulating material, and offset from one edge is the integral extension 30f cylindrical form and provided with an axial chamber 4. The-lower part of the base-piece 2 is cored out at 5 to provide a recess in which certain operative parts are free to move, and to the upper surface of'the base-piece are connected the usual contact parts. The center of the base-piece 2 is bored out, forming a bearing for the blade-arbor 6. The blade-arbor dis made of hard rubber and is provided with an adapted to receive the contact-blades and space-rings-8, anda similarly-shaped lower. end for the reception of'the wrist-plate 9.

. The arbor 6 is provided with an axial hole for the reception of the bolt 10, which has a knobhead 11 and a. shoulder 12, adapted to bear' a polygonal upper end upon the spring-washer 13 and hold the spacerings 8 and the contact-blades pressed downward upon the flange 7. The lower end of bolt 10 carries a spring-washerl, which is forced against the wrist-plate 9 by the nut 15. The free end of wrist-plate 9 carries a pin 16,- which passes through an end of. the link 17, having its oppositeend pivoted on the actuating crank-pin 18,"fast in ratchet-plate 19. The link 17 is preferably made of nonmetallic material,-.so 'as'to insulatethe actu-v I ating means from the conducting parts;

The main actuating-shaft consists of two .sections 20 and 21,- having interlocking helical ,ends and cored for the reception of the loose guide-pii122. Each'section is provided with a'notched flange 23','adapted to engage the respective ends of a spring 2e,"coiled about the said shaft and operatingto yieldingly. hold the helical ends of the sections 20 and 21" screwed together. The upper section 20is journalcd 'in a hole at the upper endof the extension 3 and is screw-threaded at its upper thethu'mb-piece 25.

The lower section 21 is connected at its lower end to the ratchet 19 and is mounted to ro-' tate and move longitudinally in the stop-plate 26, held in position on thennder side of the base 2 by a screw 27 and provided with depcnding stop-lugs 28. adapted to be engaged by the corresponding, projections on the ratchet-plate 19.

By the interlocking of the projections on the stop-plate 26 with the projections'on the ratchet-plate 19 the latter is positively held with the crank-pin 18 in either the extreme outer position or the extreme inner position- "When the thumb-piece 25 is turned righthandedly, the upper section 20 of the actuat. ing-shaft is carried around with it against the tension of the spring 24 and causes its helical,- end to partially unscrew from the helical end.

of the lower section 21, forcing the latter section to move downward until the projections of the ratchet-plate carried thereby clear the stop project ons 28, whereuponthe recoil-of the spring 2 L throws the said lower section 21, ratchet-plate, and cranl-pfin lS around through a half-rotation, whereupon the projections of the ratchet-plate 19 engage the opposite stops on plate 26. When the thumbpiece 25 is turned left-handedly, itmerely un screws from the shaft. By properly adjusting the length of the arm of the wrist-plate 9 the arbor 6 may be caused to oscillate a greater or less amount, according to the distance it is desired to move the switch-blades. In the device shown in Fig. 1 this amount will be one-sixth of a rotation, and in Fig. 4 it will be one-eighth of a rotation.

The device shown in Fig. 1 is adapted for use in connection with a three-wire system of electric lighting, and,.as will. be observed, only three contact-posts are employed instead of four,with two cross-connected, as has been the practice heretofore. The several contactarms 28' are integrally connected, thereby necessitating but a single piece of metal stamping.

The cover or cap 29 is of pressed sheet metal suitably lined with insulating material and has a central projecting portion 30, having a number of radial slits 31,- whereby spring lips or segments are formed,which are adapted to yield slightly as the cap is pressed down over the knob end not bolt 9 and operate to hold the cap in place upon the basepiece 2.

By the arrangement above described it is to be noted that the binding-posts and contactblades are rendered accessible by the mere pulling oii of the cap-piece 29, the switchblades are given a quick oscillating movement by a single spring always acting in the same direction, and the actuating-shaft is securely locked against retrograde motion, and therebythe several parts protected from injury from attempts to move the oscillating switch in a wrong direction.

. i l/ hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination of a switch -blade, a crank-pin, a link-connecting means between said blade and crank-pin whereby rotary motion of said pin produces oscillating motion of the blade, and means for intermittently rotating said pin.

2. The combination of a switch blade, an arbor carrying said blade, a spring-contgolled rotary escapement, and means to transmit the rotary motion of said escapement-to said arbor to oscillate the blade.

3. The combination'of a switch blade, an arbor carrying said blade and provided with a wrist-plate, a spring-controlled rotary escapement, and means to transmit the rotary movement of said escapement to said wristplate to oscillate said blade.

4. The combination of a switch blade, an arbor carrying said blade and provided with a wristplate, a crank-pin connected to said wrist-plate, and means for imparting an intermitt'ent rotarymovement to said pin where- 10y s'gid wristrplate and switch-blade are oscilate 5. The combination of a switch-blade, a sectional actuating-shaft, aspiring connecting said sections, stops for normally restraining one of said sections from rotating while the 'other section moves through a partial rotation and puts tension on said spring, means connecting the held section with said switchblade, and means to release said held section from the stops.

6. The combination of a switch-blade, a sectional actuating-shaft having inclined planes at the adjacent ends of. said sections, a spring connecting said sections, stops to restrain one of said sections fromrotating while the other section is rotatedputting tension upon the spring and by means of the action of the inclined planes causing the former section to be finally released fromsaid stops, and means for transmitting the rotary motion of the said former section to the switch-bladeto oscillate the said blade.

7. The combination of a switch blade, an actuating-shaft having one section provided with a thumb-piece, and another section provided with a crank-pin and adapted to move longitudinally with relation to iii)... other section, a spring connected at its endsto each of the respective sections, stops to restrain the crank-pin section from rotation, means to move said section longitudinally. to free said stops when the other section is turned through a part rotation to put tension on the spring, and means to transmit the motion t said crank-pin to said switch-biade.

8. The combination of a switch blade, an oscillating arbor for said blade provided with a wrist-plate, a sectional actuatingshaft, one section having a thumb-piece at one end and an inclined surface at the other,,the other section having a corresponding inclined surface at one end and a crank-pin at the other, a spring connecting said sections, stops for restraining the crank-pin' section from rotation while the other section is turned through a part rotation putting tension on the spring and ultimately forcing the crank-pin section longitudinally away from said stops, and a link connecting said crank-pin and said wristplate.

9. The combinatidn of a base, a central switch-blade arbor, means for actuating said arbor mounted uponsaid base, and a cap fit ting said base and provided with spring secwith spring .seetionsor jaws at its center tions or jaws it its eenter adapted to engage adapted to engage said knob.

the end of said arbor. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my 10. The combination of a base having a hand this 17th day of February, 1902. chambered ofiset portion, a switch-blade ar- HENRY GEISENHGNER' bor carried at the center of saidbase and having a knob at one end, actuating mechanism Witnesses:

for said arbor mounted upon the offset por- I ALEX. F. MAoDoNALn tion, and a cap fitting said base and provided HARRY H. TILDEN. 

